Review Article
Learning Outcomes Associated With Patient Simulation Method in Pharmacotherapy Education An Integrative Review Suvi M. Aura, MNSc; Marjorita S.T. Sormunen, PhD; Sue E. Jordan, MB, BCh, PhD; Kerttu A. Tossavainen, PhD; Hannele E. Turunen, PhD
Summary Statement: The aims of this systematic integrative review were to identify evidence for the use of patient simulation teaching methods in pharmacotherapy education and to explore related learning outcomes. A systematic literature search was conducted using 6 databases as follows: CINAHL, PubMed, SCOPUS, ERIC, MEDIC, and the Cochrane Library, using the key words relating to patient simulation and pharmacotherapy. The methodological quality of each study was evaluated. Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria. The earliest article was published in 2005. The selected research articles were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Patient simulation has been used in pharmacotherapy education for preregistration nursing, dental, medical, and pharmacy students and for the continuing education of nurses. Learning outcomes reported were summarized as follows: (1) commitment to pharmacotherapy learning, (2) development of pharmacotherapy evaluation skills, (3) improvement in pharmacotherapy application skills, and (4) knowledge and understanding of pharmacotherapy. To develop effective teaching methods and ensure health care professionals’ competence in medication management, further research is needed to determine the educational and clinical effectiveness of simulation teaching methods. (Sim Healthcare 10:170Y177, 2015)
Key Words: Pharmacotherapy, Drug therapy, High-fidelity simulation, Education, Learning outcomes.
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he current complex and evolving health care environment is creating challenges for health care educators tasked with ensuring that students and health care professionals have sufficient skills and knowledge to undertake pharmacotherapy and medication management safely. Drug administration is the final step in the ‘‘medication process.’’ The multidisciplinary team shares responsibility of ensuring that medicines are safely administered to patients1; however, medication administration is extremely vulnerable to error, for example, wrong drug, dose, route, patient, or timing2 as well as inappropriate coadministration with food or interacting medicines. Retrospective record reviews indicate that adverse events affect 9.2% [interquartile range (IQR), 4.6%Y12.4%] of those admitted to hospital, 15.1% (IQR, 11.9%Y20.4%) are drug related, and 43% (IQR, 39.4%Y49.6%) are preventable (n = 74,485 patients, 8 studies in the United States, Canada, UK, Australia, and From the Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Science, University of Eastern Finland (S.M.A, M.S.T.S, K.A.T., H.E.T), Kuopio University Hospital (S.M.A, H.E.T), Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; and Department of Nursing (S.E.J.), College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK. Reprints: Suvi M. Aura, MNSc, Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland (e
Learning Outcomes Associated With Patient Simulation Method in Pharmacotherapy Education An Integrative Review Suvi M. Aura, MNSc; Marjorita S.T. Sormunen, PhD; Sue E. Jordan, MB, BCh, PhD; Kerttu A. Tossavainen, PhD; Hannele E. Turunen, PhD
Summary Statement: The aims of this systematic integrative review were to identify evidence for the use of patient simulation teaching methods in pharmacotherapy education and to explore related learning outcomes. A systematic literature search was conducted using 6 databases as follows: CINAHL, PubMed, SCOPUS, ERIC, MEDIC, and the Cochrane Library, using the key words relating to patient simulation and pharmacotherapy. The methodological quality of each study was evaluated. Eighteen articles met the inclusion criteria. The earliest article was published in 2005. The selected research articles were subjected to qualitative content analysis. Patient simulation has been used in pharmacotherapy education for preregistration nursing, dental, medical, and pharmacy students and for the continuing education of nurses. Learning outcomes reported were summarized as follows: (1) commitment to pharmacotherapy learning, (2) development of pharmacotherapy evaluation skills, (3) improvement in pharmacotherapy application skills, and (4) knowledge and understanding of pharmacotherapy. To develop effective teaching methods and ensure health care professionals’ competence in medication management, further research is needed to determine the educational and clinical effectiveness of simulation teaching methods. (Sim Healthcare 10:170Y177, 2015)
Key Words: Pharmacotherapy, Drug therapy, High-fidelity simulation, Education, Learning outcomes.
T
he current complex and evolving health care environment is creating challenges for health care educators tasked with ensuring that students and health care professionals have sufficient skills and knowledge to undertake pharmacotherapy and medication management safely. Drug administration is the final step in the ‘‘medication process.’’ The multidisciplinary team shares responsibility of ensuring that medicines are safely administered to patients1; however, medication administration is extremely vulnerable to error, for example, wrong drug, dose, route, patient, or timing2 as well as inappropriate coadministration with food or interacting medicines. Retrospective record reviews indicate that adverse events affect 9.2% [interquartile range (IQR), 4.6%Y12.4%] of those admitted to hospital, 15.1% (IQR, 11.9%Y20.4%) are drug related, and 43% (IQR, 39.4%Y49.6%) are preventable (n = 74,485 patients, 8 studies in the United States, Canada, UK, Australia, and From the Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Science, University of Eastern Finland (S.M.A, M.S.T.S, K.A.T., H.E.T), Kuopio University Hospital (S.M.A, H.E.T), Kuopio University Hospital, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; and Department of Nursing (S.E.J.), College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK. Reprints: Suvi M. Aura, MNSc, Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, PO Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland (e
